Hibiscus sabdariffa
- noun
- Specialized
:
hibisco sabdariffa
- Farmers grow Hibiscus sabdariffa primarily for its edible parts and natural fiber.
Examples
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Many people in West Africa brew a bright red tea from the Hibiscus sabdariffa plant.
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Have you tried the tea made from Hibiscus sabdariffa?
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The calyces of Hibiscus sabdariffa are often used to make jams, sauces, and jelly.
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The Hibiscus sabdariffa plant thrives in tropical climates.
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A tart, healthful tea is brewed from the fleshy calyx at the base of the Hibiscus sabdariffa seed capsule.
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In human clinical studies at Tufts, McKay found that tea brewed from the flowers of the tropical Hibiscus sabdariffa plant lowered the blood pressure of research subjects.
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The fleshy calyces of Hibiscus sabdariffa are a key ingredient in homemade jellies.
Synonyms
1
9.9
A tropical plant with red parts around its flowers used to make drinks and cloth
1
9.9
A plant with red flower parts used to make drinks, jams, and strong fiber
A tropical plant grown for its bright red flower parts used in food and drinks
A tropical plant with red flower parts people use to make drinks, jams, and sometimes fiber
A plant from India with red edible flower parts used to make drinks and jams
Surface Forms
Morphology
Hibiscus + sabdariffa
This is a Linnaean binomial: 'Hibiscus' clearly signals the plant genus so a learner who knows that word can infer it is a kind of hibiscus (i.e. a plant). However, the specific epithet 'sabdariffa' has no independent lexical meaning for a B1 learner and does not transparently indicate the species' edible calyces or fiber, so the full definitional content is not derivable from the parts.
Etymology
Hibiscus sabdariffa may come from old local words for its sour, red cups; Hibiscus names the flower and sabdariffa may be a local name for the edible cup. Those bright, cup-like parts are used to make 'red tea', jams and a strong fiber, so the name points to this useful tropical plant.